Since their establishment, legacy financial institutions and their methods have fared very well. However, with the evolution of technology and the adoption of digital transformation, the financial services industry has come a long way. When technology was fused with finance, the change was considered revolutionary enough.

New technologies like Cloud computing, Blockchain technology, Machine learning, Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Communication, RFID technology, Biometric recognition, and several others are coming into the picture. It is crucial to learn how they are transforming the financial services industry and why they are beneficial for the end-users. Banks and fintech enterprises are benefitting from open APIs and fintech megatrends and applications can be further explored. Let us dive more in-depth and have a closer look at the top five technologies transforming the financial services industry.

RFID or Radio-frequency Identification is a technology using which digital assets (data) are encoded and then automatically identified using track tags. The RFID technology has become a crucially vital protection layer used by numerous financial institutions, payment providers, and central banks to safeguard their digital assets. RFID protection is being implemented to protect servers, sensitive and classified company and customer data, laptops, hard drives, and other equipment.

Using RFID security helps these financial institutions automate numerous inventory processes, keep track of their fixed assets, increase capital visibility, boost efficiency and productivity in asset management, and remove errors due to reduced human judgment. RFID system components are also being used by banks to safeguard courier bags in which hard cash or sensitive documents are transferred from one location to the other. Plus, RFID chips embedded in credit or debit cards can even allow customers to make payments by tapping the card without having to swipe it through or wait for systems to come online.

It has been quite a few years since machine learning and artificial intelligence have been associated with finances. These were among the first technology integrations to take place when it came to the financial services industry. Even though it has been an innovative step towards a transformed future, machine learning and artificial intelligence have a long way to go into creating something revolutionary and game-changing. However, both these technologies have still made quite a lot of difference in the scene.

Fraud prevention using biometric recognition is one of the most crucial advances provided by machine learning and artificial intelligence. Now, along with using OTPs and passwords, customers can also use their fingerprints or facial prints to add additional layers of protection. Artificial intelligence has also enabled financial institutions to carry out risk management and fund prediction, thus becoming essential financial tools for business decision making.

Another crucial application of artificial intelligence as financial tools is the utilization of Robotic Process Automation. There’s no hiding the amount of paperwork and manual processes that take place in a financial institution. These redundant yet essential processes can be taken care of by Robotic Process Automation. Whether it is the maintenance of regulatory documents, extraction of summaries from lengthy business documents, or collecting statistics and numeric values, Robotic Process Automation is a blessing. Plus, since these financial tools eliminate resource wastage and boost productivity, they not only serve as great financial tools to start a business but also as financial tools for business decision making

Cryptocurrency and Blockchain technology, in general, have been under a lot of scrutinies, especially from legacy financial institutions. However, people all across the globe are slowly and gradually adopting cryptocurrency. This has also caused several financial institutions to consider blockchain technology and use it as a sort of regulatory means because of its decentralized nature.

Shortly, blockchain technology is expected to further the cause of transformation of the financial services industry and be used to revolutionize digital and contactless payments, loan authentication and processing, escrow services, and more. Blockchain technology will also be crucial to automate numerous processes bound by regulatory compliance standards.

The most typical queries customers have related to financial services are, in fact, straightforward and repetitive. “How can I block my stolen credit card?” “How can I unblock my card?” “How do I access my online account?” “Where is the nearest ATM?”. “Where is the nearest bank branch?” “How can I start a fixed deposit?”. Instead of a human replying to them every time, conversational banking can help automate the replies to such questions.

By using artificial intelligence and machine learning to create Internet bots or Chatbots, financial institutions can do a lot. They can quickly answer the most simple and common customer queries, walk them through the complete registration process for a service, teach them how to make transactions or withdraw money, and even serve as advisors to track their budget and spending habits. This not only adds ease and convenience to the customer’s life but also optimizes customer experiences.

With increasing usage and flourishing trends of conversational banking as a personalized customer service assistant, the financial services industry will need to hire more neuro-linguists, AI programmers, and voice recognition experts. In the next few years, we’ll also be looking at developing hybrid AI-human models that will give enough control to Internet bots but also enable human agents to step in when required quickly.

Drop us a line at info@ndngroup.com to learn more about how our technologies help expand your business in the era of fintech.

New innovations in fintech have enabled businesses and fintech startups to serve customers in novel ways. Banks, financial institutions, fintech startups and businesses have utilized fintech namely Artificial Intelligence (AI) predictive analytics, blockchain, cryptocurrency, mobile payment and social data analytics to provide superior customer experiences (CX).

As customers are businesses’ primary source of profits, market value, and growth, they need to be handled with. Before delivering the wants of the customers, businesses need to identify their deep-rooted desires and needs. In accordance with a Gartner study, 89% of global companies are expected to compete primarily on customer experiences and business leaders are becoming more proactive in finding new ways to enhance the customer journey. The widespread applications of Fintech are redefining the way businesses connect with their customers.

AI predictive analytics enhance customer experiences

Fintech is the driving force behind innovation and impacts every aspect of a company’s operations, including its ability to influence and enhance customer experiences. By 2025, as many as 95% of all customer interactions will be through channels supported by artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

Using customer data for analysis based on Artificial Intelligence and machine learning helps predict customers’ needs and real-time product feedback. Take the algorithms of services like Netflix and Spotify as examples, customers’ actions, such as watching a certain show or skipping certain songs, impact the next recommendations they will receive. Things change quickly based on customer feedback and preferences so businesses can capture what customers want at the exact moment. Also, Artificial Intelligence and machine learning can be deployed to provide intelligent, personal and informed customer experiences at any touchpoint along the customer journey.

Meanwhile, Artificial Intelligence technology helps transform customer service by making it automated and fast. AI-powered conversation agents and chatbots are used in diverse customer engagement scenarios as they are curated to simulate human interactions and offer real-time responses around the clock.

Blockchain technology creates novel business models and reshapes customer experiences

Blockchain technology has fascinating applications to proceed to the formation of contracts and lower transaction costs to reshape customer experiences. Smart contracts are a way for machines to enforce and execute contract terms and make payments without human involvement. A study by Santander has revealed that the Blockchain will slash infrastructure costs for customers to make payments and proceed securities trading as well as regulatory compliance by $15–20 billion a year by 2022.

The application of decentralized public ledger in blockchain technology allows for the emergence of entirely new product offerings and novel business models such as crowd-lending, as well as peer-to-peer (P2P) banking and insurance. Also, fintech start-ups have utilized blockchain technology for faster, safer and more transparent transactions and lower costs for customers in transactions.

Cryptocurrency lowers transaction costs for customers

Cryptocurrency like Bitcoin is a digital or virtual currency designed to work as a medium of exchange in blockchain technology. It uses cryptography to secure and verify transactions and it is limited entries in a database that no one can change.

The transaction costs of cryptocurrencies are low and making payments with cryptos can proceed worldwide. Cryptocurrencies can be stored in a digital wallet that customers can manage from a smartphone or they can store cryptos in digital wallets.

Meanwhile, digital and mobile payment are growing their market shares. It is a sign that consumers are ready to adopt these fintech technologies for daily use. Even though peer-to-peer payment companies initially only targeted younger consumers, it seems that more people have also started to use the technology for daily transactions, thereby removing the middlemen and bringing down transaction costs.

Businesses connect with customers with superior data analytics

The best way for businesses and fintech startups to boost customer experiences is to connect with them emotionally. With data analytics on customers’ preferences and behaviour, businesses are empowered to use these insights to create exceptional customer’s journeys. Marketers can utilize data to understand relevant customer needs that they can touch.

Businesses can also leverage social media data for enhancing deeper customer engagement/ segmentation and driving personalized sales outreach and lead nurturing. Businesses can leverage tactics from monitoring different social channels for posts to sophisticated sentiment analysis tools to analyze what a customer is thinking.

In conclusion, fintech is a game-changer for customer experience in almost all sector. New innovations in fintech have empowered businesses and fintech startups to offer superior customer experiences in novel ways. Businesses are willing to embrace creativity offered by fintech and go beyond the norm to stand out from competitors with richer customer experiences.

In a competitive market place, customer experience and satisfaction are always important to drive business growth. Those businesses which keep abreast of fintech megatrends and embrace innovative solutions can enjoy sustained customer loyalty.

 

Drop us a line at info@ndngroup.com to learn more about how our innovating technologies thrive your business in the era of fintech.

Blockchain technology has completed its transition from geek tech to adoption. Blockchain applications in business are transforming the way data is transmitted, accessed and used. In this article, we delve into blockchain applications that help transform enterprises in a wide variety of industries. Enterprises are investing in blockchain technology to make all transactions more authentic, transparent, and trustworthy. 

The reason why business executives are excited about the blockchain is for its following three distinctive features:

·       Decentralization: None of the data in the blockchain is owned by one centralized entity. All the nodes in the blockchain’s network hold the data.

·       Immutability: After data has been entered in the blockchain, it cannot be tampered with. This happens because of cryptographic hash functions.

·       Transparency: All the nodes of the network can see all the data that has been entered into the blockchain.

Specific Types of Blockchain Applications in Businesses

The blockchain gives users the ability to create value and authenticates digital information. Here are some specific types of blockchain applications that are developed for and how that might change your business.

1)Asset Management

The security and resiliency of the transactional data are imperative in asset management. Blockchain technology allows businesses to create a system consisting of the technology and processes of third-party providers and internal systems, thereby revolving around a single source of truth for the asset management activities. As transactions performed on a blockchain are immutable, it creates an accurate, unchangeable record for asset managers to use and verify the transactions. Asset management organizations and financial institutions use these records to analyze their performance and risks as part of their planning cycles. Asset managers can share sensitive data such as asset history, with relevant providers and partners in a secure way.

The blockchain ledger also reduces error by encrypting the records and simplifies the process as well as cancel the need for intermediaries. Blockchain technology simplifies all processes and actions in managing assets, namely portfolio management, trading and transaction of cryptocurrencies.

2) Insurance claims processing

Claims processing can be a frustrating procedure and insurance processors wade through fragmented data sources. The blockchain provides a system for risk-free management and transparency. Through its use of public ledger, blockchain can potentially eliminate suspicious transactions by logging each transaction. Through its decentralized digital repository, it can verify the authenticity of customers, policies and transactions by providing historical records.

Blockchain can also handle the increase in third-party transactions and claims made through personal devices. Blockchain helps slash costs through automated verification of claims data from third parties. Insurance companies can swiftly check past claims transactions registered on blockchain. This has helped fostered higher degrees of trust and loyalty between insurers and customers.

3) Cross-border payments

The global payments sector is error-prone and time-consuming. It takes several days if not longer for money to cross the world. Cross-border payments supported by blockchain provide significant advantages to businesses and consumers. Blockchain-based payments are cost-effective, almost immediate, secure and transparent. Blockchain payments are completed in close to real time – in seconds rather than days. Instead of paying transfer fees to multiple parties, companies using blockchain only need to pay a single nominal fee or nothing at all. Cost savings will be substantial for organizations that make frequent international transactions.

Blockchain also eliminates the risk of discrepancies in record keeping. As a decentralized ledger, it holds an irreversible record of every transaction and distributes it for all authorized users to see. The ledger is maintained and updated communally by a group of connected computers, and all parties have an identical copy of the ledger. All transaction records are secured by cryptography, tied to previous transactions and distributed among participants in a ledger.

4) Smart contracts

Blockchain technology can power smart contracts to fulfill transactions. It is wise to perform due diligence on any company your company is considering doing business with.  A smart contract is an automated, self-fulfilling contract between two parties. Payment is not released from one party to the other until both parties have fulfilled their terms of the contract. Once this is done, payment is released automatically.

Smart contracts get rid of third parties overseeing the creation and completion of contracts. Parties can use pre-drafted contracts that can be modified and shared in one ledger.

5) Supply chain management

Blockchain technology also benefits supply chain management by providing a way to trace goods while being cost-effective. Enterprises can verify with certainty where items and goods are, thereby eliminating guesswork and inefficiencies.

Blockchain technology have an impact on the supply chain process. It has recorded the quantity and transfer of products as they change hands between supply chain nodes. It has helped track change orders, buy orders, shipment notifications, trade documents and receipts from the blockchain ledger. The blockchain also allows sharing information about processing or manufacturing process, delivery, assembly and maintenance of products with vendors and suppliers transparently.

6) Digital Identity

The traditional identity systems of today are fragmented, insecure, and exclusive. Blockchain enables more secure management and storage of digital identities by providing unified and tamper-proof infrastructure with key benefits to enterprises, users, and Internet of Things (IoT) management systems

The importance of digital identity is prominent than ever for some reasons. Without a proper ID, getting access to education, banking, or health is difficult for users. There is still no global cooperation with IDs, so digital identity can enable a digital-based identification. Blockchain technology can help in tracking and managing digital identities. It eliminates the need for physical identification and replaces it with digital IDs. It offers solutions for many digital identity issues where identity can be uniquely authenticated in an immutable, irrefutable, and secure manner.

7) Blockchain’s Internet of Things applications (IoT)

Gartner predicts that 20.4 billion IoT-connected devices will be active by the end of 2020, with some estimates showing the IoT market will reach US$3 trillion annually by 2026. Blockchain-enabled IoT devices would operate faster and more securely for businesses. As the blockchain is decentralized, it can do what IoT exactly requires. Using blockchain in IoT can help businesses track billions of connected devices in the network.

Integrating the blockchain in IoT devices can also reduce the costs of installing and managing servers for an IoT network. Blockchain uses cryptographic algorithms which ensures the confidentiality and security of the data on the IoT network.

Meanwhile, smart IoT-enabled devices play a crucial role in our day-to-day lives. IoT blockchain enables the home security system to be managed remotely from the smartphone. The traditional centralized approach to exchange information generated by IoT devices lacks the security standards and ownership of information. Blockchain could elevate the smart home to the next level by solving security issues and removing centralized infrastructure. Sensitive user data such as biometrics, voice recognition, and facial recognition are stored on the blockchain for improved security. Once the data is saved on the blockchain, it cannot be modified, and access is only provided to the right person.

Blockchain technology becomes tidal wave of innovation

With deep expertise across various industries, NDN Group has leveraged the Proof-of-Capacity algorithm to build a decentralized open source platform – a scalable, environmentally friendly and adaptable blockchain solution. Practical blockchain applications are becoming more mainstream. As blockchain adoption spreads, it can become a driving force for solving business problems and transforming how we live and work every day.

Explore the blockchain world with us. Drop us a line at info@ndngroup.com to learn more about how our blockchain solutions fit your business needs.